Use of secondary

[Guest]

I've seen conflicting views on when to use the secondary fermenter. What I've been doing for the last 3 batches is... transfer to secondary after about 3-4 days in the primary. Fermentation is still in progress but, slowed quite a bit. I was under the impression that you wanted to transfer to the secondary when nearing the end of fermentation. The CO2 being given off will be enough to "push out" the room air on top of the wort. I just read in another forum where transfering into a secondary when fermentation is incomplete may result in a stuck fermentation. Quite honestly, the last three batches haven't been as good as previous batches when I didn't use a secondary. Any direction in this matter would be helpful.

[Boo Boo]

I have transfered to secondary before primary was finished and had no problem, but now wait until primary fermentation is finished before transfering. There is always some activity from co2 comming out of suspension to push any air in the primary out. I found that my beer improved slightly after doing this.

[Bugeater]

I, too, have recently switche to letting the fermentation pretty much finish before racking to secondary. I never had a problem with stuck fermentation, but I think I am just getting too lazy to get anxious about racking at a certain specific gravity. I have noticed that my gravities drop a point or two more than they did when I racked earlier. Probably due to the difference in the amount of yeast in solution. My primaries used to run 5-7 days. Now I go anywhere from 10-14 days, sometimes longer. I have enough beers waiting to be tapped that I don't get impatient to get my beers finished now.

It finally hit me how far ahead I was a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to decide which beer to tap next and I realized I was having trouble deciding which one! I had 5 kegs to choose from! Life is good. I did tap the Saison.

Wayne

[livetobrew]

Here's a good rule of thumb: 1,2,3

1 week in the primary
2 weeks in the secondary
3 weeks in the bottle

Do this as a minimum and you should be good to go.

[Guest]

I ferment for 2 weeks, and then transfer to a corny keg under CO2. YMMV, Tom

[jaydub]

My go-to beer is an American Brown ale that I call "Sloop Ale". I've made it 4 times so far (first year brewer). First two times I followed the 1/2/2 split of weeks in primary/secondary/bottle. Very tasty. The third time I'd read that secondaries aren't necessary for ales, so I went 2/2 in primary & bottles. The taste was ok, but there was a lot less clarity, and more sediment (so shorter pours into glasses). I went back to 1/2/2 for the fourth and got my original beer back. I'm definitely sold on the process now.

...Quite honestly, the last three batches haven't been as good as previous batches when I didn't use a secondary. Any direction in this matter would be helpful.

[pvignola]

I have been racking to the secondary after one week with few problems. I have decided after listening to Jamil that I will wait at leat 10 days. There is no harm in leaving it on the trub for a week and a half or two. Although Jamil doesn't secondary, I think I will still secondary most of my brews.

[buzcut]

hi every one,

I have doing the home brew for 2 years now , so still a gimpy novice.


i have tried the 1/2/3
the 1/3/3
and then the 2/2/3

what I have found out is this..

it depends on the beer.. with my cream stout number 1 works best

with the wife's hefe' number 3 does....


right now I have the hefe in the secondary, let it sit 3 weeks in the primare I was waiting till the trub fell out had me damm near 2 inches of it on the bottem...

right now day 3 in the secondary we have 1/2 inch of trub and its damm clear.


every other day or so I give it a shake and let er do its thing.. I am in no big hurry..

this batch is gunna wait till may to drink any how,

so thats my story